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Overview

Improving maternal and child health is a global priority. An estimated 8.1 million children under the age of five die every year and an estimated 1 000 women – most of them in developing countries – die every day due to complications during pregnancy or childbirth.

Many of these deaths are due to conditions that could be prevented or treated with access to simple, affordable medicines. However, the availability of medicines at public-health facilities is often poor.

This list of Priority Medicines for Mothers and Children was developed by WHO and UNICEF to help countries and partners select and make available those medicines that will have the biggest impact on reducing maternal, newborn and child morbidity and mortality.